Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday reached the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a meeting amid infighting within the party's state unit, ahead of the assembly polls due next year.
Singh left for the national capital in a chopper from Chandigarh at around 11 am today morning. His meeting with Sonia Gandhi comes just days after Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the capital.
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Tuesday's meeting assumes significance as the Congress high command has been trying to resolve the internal rift in the Punjab unit of the party and there is talk of its revamp, with just months to go for the assembly elections.
Meanwhile, reports said that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Sonia Gandhi ahead of the latter's meeting with the Punjab CM.
Navjot Sidhu at loggerheads with Punjab CM
Sidhu has been at loggerheads with the chief minister, attacking him on issues like the alleged delay in the completion of a probe into the 2015 desecration of Sikh texts and the subsequent police firing on protesters.
There is some speculation that Sidhu may get an important role in the planned revamp.
Singh has made it clear that appointing Sidhu as deputy chief minister or Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief would not be acceptable to him.
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Taking to Twitter today morning, Sidhu has again raised the issue of Punjab's power crisis. Faulty power purchase agreements (PPAs) "have cost people of Punjab thousands of crores", the Congress leader stressed.
"Punjab has paid ？3,200 crore just as coal-washing charges due to faulty replies to pre-bid queries before signing PPAs. Private Plants keep finding loopholes to file litigation that has cost Punjab ？25,000 crore already," he tweeted.
Attacking the Akali Dal, he wrote: "Badal-signed PPAs are looting Punjab and legal options against them are limited due to their protection from honourable courts. Only way forward is "New Legislation in Punjab Vidhan Sabha" with retro-effect capping power purchase prices to make the anti-people agreements redundant. (sic)"
Badal-signed PPAs are looting Punjab & legal options against them are limited due to their protection from Hon’ble Courts. Only way forward is “New Legislation in Punjab Vidhan Sabha with retro-effect capping power purchase prices to make the anti-people agreements redundant 1/2
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 5, 2021
Last month, the Punjab CM had appeared before a three-member AICC panel headed by leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, set up to resolve the infighting in the party's state unit.
But he returned to Chandigarh without an audience with either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.
The panel had then asked Singh to deliver on 18 pending promises, including on the 2015 sacrilege issue and power purchase agreements signed by the previous government.
The panel had earlier met other party leaders and submitted a report to the party high command.
Rahul Gandhi has also met several party leaders, including legislators from Punjab, for their views on what is needed to strengthen the party ahead of the assembly polls.
On June 23, AICC general secretary and party's Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat had said Sonia Gandhi would resolve all issues related to the state unit by early July and a united party would fight the next assembly elections.
With agency inputs
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